Glenn's Want To See List

Glenn's Ratings

Glenn's Friends

Glenn's Activity

TIG TALK, TICK TOCK - My Review of TIG (4 Stars)
I've been a fan of… MoreTIG TALK, TICK TOCK - My Review of TIG (4 Stars)
I've been a fan of comic Tig Notaro's work ever since she started appearing on THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM in 2007 as the somewhat butch police officer aptly named Tig. She exuded a type of intelligence and masculinity rarely represented on television, someone with a quiet inner confidence. She reminded me of my lesbian sisters, someone I just knew could talk gender politics and pop culture in equal measure, and who could own how she presented herself to the world.
One night, my brother Gregg and I were having dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant on La Cienega next to the famed Largo nightclub and we noticed on the marquee that Sarah Silverman was performing with friends. On a lark, we bought tickets and entered a theatre only half full. One of the comics on the lineup was Tig, and she blew both of us away. Her delivery is slow, taking her time to stare the audience down as if to say, "I don't care what you make of me, you are mine for the next 15-20 minutes."
It was that night when I knew she was destined for greatness. Little did I know that a short time later, her life would fall apart with a lift-threatening colon infection, the loss of her mother, a relationship breakup, and breast cancer. All of this is documented in TIG, the remarkable film which opened OUTFEST 2015 and is currently streaming on Netflix. Directed by Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York, and wonderfully written by Jennifer Arnold (who also directed additional material), TIG is way more than your basic disease-of-the-week movie. Sure, the cancer is front and center for much of its first half, but the filmmakers are smart enough to know that a rigorous documentary will search for deeper truths within. In the wake of her double mastectomy and battle with her infections, Tig struggles to find her voice as a comic again and to find love and meaning in her life at the same time.
This all sounds like pretty intense stuff, and much of it is, but what elevates the film (and Tig) is her endearingly wry outlook on life. Finding the humor in her medical scares,Tig performed what is now a legendary night back at Largo, a comedy set of such searing honesty and dark humor that news spread like wildfire. It helped that Tig had friends like Louis CK to sing her praises, but you will see in this film that her brilliance speaks for itself. There's so much creativity at work in how Tig's comedy is presented. Her famed Largo set, for example, is told through clever, well-placed subtitles since the club has had a longstanding NO VIDEO policy.
When given a new lease on life, this film asks the difficult question of "What the f*ck does one do?" In TIG, the answers come in beautifully-paced pieces. Tig isn't the warmest of documentary subjects, at least at first. She seems to hold her cards so close to her vest that I spent the first half of the film wondering if she was even an out lesbian. Like Tig's comedy, one must be patient to reap the wonderful rewards. Little by little, you see Tig opening up, trusting the filmmakers, and trusting herself.
With such openness comes such startling moments as Tig meeting a potential surrogate couple on Skype. They happened to be fans of her podcast, PROFESSOR BLASTOFF, and it seems obvious that the old Tig would never have been open to such an interaction in her past. Same goes for her love life, which when it's finally revealed to us (and to her), is such a beautiful experience. By showing us a budding relationship through sharply written text messages, we experience the chemistry in such a unique way, a way that had me rooting even harder for Tig's happiness. It makes you feel like if you can be the one to get Tig to open up, you're gonna be so lucky to reap the rewards. I won't reveal who her partner is, as watching it unfold is one of the film's greatest pleasures. Needless to say, I cried tears of joy (and sometimes tears of heartbreak) several times.
Late in the film, there's a stunning scene in which Tig says something so wonderful, so inspiring and hopeful, yet so vulnerable, that what follows is so utterly devastating I worried the filmmakers had painted themselves into a corner. "Just you wait," Tig seems to be constantly saying to her audience, "Just you wait, because I may surprise you." This life-affirming, totally generous documentary does just that.

DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN - My Review of THE STANFORD PRISON… MoreDON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN - My Review of THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT (4 Stars)
Having worked on a clinical study, I came to THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, a searing, powerful, difficult accounting of a 1971 trial that pushed the boundaries of research, with great anticipation. Certain studies, such as the famous Milgram Experiment of 1961 in which participants willingly agreed to inflict electric shocks on other participants (although no pain was administered), brought to light the ethics of causing physical and psychological harm. THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT fully immerses its audience into a study fraught with such questionable tactics.
Writer Tim Talbott (CHICAGO FIRE, THE LATHER EFFECT) and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G., EASIER WITH PRACTICE) forcefully yet nimbly tell the story of Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup), a psychology professor at Stanford University who wanted to study the oppressive nature of incarceration on volunteers chosen to be either guards or prisoners. Setting up shop in a faculty office space on campus, the participants were paid $15/day for what was scheduled to be a 2 week experiment. Given very few instructions, the role playing began under the watchful eyes of Zimbardo and his staff. Thinking they were in for an easy paid vacation, things start off humorously until tensions begin to rise to the surface.
These early scenes are masterfully directed, with Alvarez and his very talented cinematographer, Jas Shelton, presenting one clinical, clean image after another to suggest a sense of emotional detachment. We, the audience, become observers as objective as the investigators, making the breaking point in the story that much more shocking and effective. When things erupt, it's volcanic and punishing. Some may feel exhausted by the claustrophobic and relentlessly brutal tone, but if you can handle the tension, you may experience, like I did, something richly rewarding.
The great cast is stuffed with talent and feels like "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" exploded all over it. First, let's start with Billy Crudup, who makes every decision his character makes, good and bad, simultaneously agonizing and thrilling to watch. His character could easily have slipped into the villain role had he not shown us his passion for the benefits of his work despite the obviously dodgy methods. Standing out next to him is his ALMOST FAMOUS co-star, Michael Angarano, who nearly steals the film as a guard nicknamed John Wayne. He takes his role a little too seriously as he instantly becomes drunk with power and give every scene he's in a little kick. Ezra Miller (PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN), who keeps going from strength to strength, gives a searing performance as a very vocal inmate who quickly comes to understand the sadistic nature of the study. You feel this dawning realization step by step, right there with him as he fights back with every dignity-shattering suckerpunch. His PERKS co-star (See what I mean? Everyone knew each other somehow) Johnny Simmons, shows terrific vulnerability as another disillusioned inmate. I was also pleased to see James Frecheville, an up and coming Aussie actor who has been on my radar with great performances in ANIMAL KINGDOM and THE DROP, excel with his turn as a naive guard who doesn't quite know how to turn on the brute force. Throw in actors from ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, MUD, IT FOLLOWS, and JUNO and you just may find yourself in indie heaven.
This is not your typical fun night out at the movies. At the beginning of each day of the story, a title card appears, and the audience I saw the movie with would groan, not out of boredom, but because they were feeling every visceral, gut-wrenching moment. Escapist entertainment this is not. It reminded me of 70s renegade films like DOG DAY AFTERNOON with its grip on the audience and close adhesion to its characters. A little coda at the end perfectly uses recreated interviews with the subjects post-study, and their reflections give the film a much-needed exhale. Because, yes, there are times you may forget to breathe. Regardless, you may walk away wondering what you would have done in this situation. The film seems to say that there's such a thin line that keeps most of us from crossing over into very dark territory. Examining that side of yourself may be scary and unpleasant, but this tough, harsh, beautifully made film may just make that exploration worth it. Check your night sticks at the door.
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT opens July 17th. It deservedly won both the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

IT'S RAINING MEH - My Review of MAGIC MIKE XXL (2 1/2 Stars)… MoreIT'S RAINING MEH - My Review of MAGIC MIKE XXL (2 1/2 Stars)
Stripping itself, literally, of any true narrative momentum, MAGIC MIKE XXL is a strangely inert, forgettable, yet oddly enjoyable tribute to the gaze in all its forms. Unlike its predecessor, which allowed the economic downturn to drive decisions, this summer sequel has stakes so low that the biggest question isn't "Will they win the big Stripper Convention?" or "Will they be able to pay their bills?" With no prize to be heard of and money not an issue, this film merely asks, "Will they enjoy their time together?" For many, especially with the hefty heaping of skin on display, that will be enough.
For me, it reminded me of a lesson I learned in journalism class back in college. When reporting on an event, it was not enough to write, "They all laughed and had a good time." Specifics, drama, tension, or barriers must be provided. With only a couple of minor obstacles along the way, MAGIC MIKE XXL is part road movie, part SPRING BREAKERS, part NASHVILLE, all there to illustrate that nothing matters more in life than being with your friends. I don't disagree with that premise, but as a piece of storytelling, it gets old really fast.
Still, Channing Tatum, who created the characters with screenwriter Reid Carolin and who based it on his former career, has enough charm and magnetism as Mike to get you to stay at his party for however long he wants you there. Despite a story as slim as "the gang reunites to drive from Point A to Point B in order to perform one last time", there are many moments of audaciousness, joy and pure sexiness coming from male and female cast members alike. I defy anyone not to smile during Tatum's early dance in his furniture shop or Joe Manganiello's big set piece in a convenience store, moments destined to become as indelible as Jennifer Beals' FLASHDANCE audition scene or Kevin Bacon's FOOTLOOSE barn solo respectively. These moments set the stage for as our gang do a little vogueing at a drag show and learn how to channel their inner souls at an African American exclusive strip club.
It's at the latter where we meet Rome (Jada Pinkett Smith), a former flame of Mike's who joins the troupe as their MC, ably replacing Matthew McConaughey and adding a fierce female sexuality. Amber Heard brings a carnal, pansexual appeal to a thin role as a potential love interest to Mike. And MacDowell sells her cougar role just by looking at Manganiello. With their welcome presence, the MAGIC MIKE series goes from a scrappy, of-the-times tale of doing whatever it takes to get by to a celebration of community. That's not a bad thing, and for some, it will be a mesmerizing experience. Robert Altman's films elevated the mundane, and Steven Soderbergh, who used pseudonyms to act as cinematographer and editor while handing over the directing reins to his long-term assistant director, Gregory Jacobs, has based much of his career on achieving Altman's deceptively throwaway vibe.
Personally, that tone works best when there are larger issues underneath the surface. If you're content with merely watching extremely attractive people do drugs, show their skin, laugh a lot, and proclaim their love for each other, then you're in the right place. Though tedious in its storytelling, I still acknowledge that this film has eye-popping moments galore. Just the sight of Matt Bomer being showered by dollar bills while a woman sits on top of him and gyrates was to witness a kind of hedonistic bliss. Same goes for Adam Rodriguez's Tito, who has little to do in this film, but damn if he doesn't know how to lick chocolate off a woman's thighs.
The final act is one long strip show. No false dramatics. Nobody races to the airport or has to stick a landing in order to save their farm. It's just a series of fun numbers. With a great mirror routine that belongs on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (no coincidence that Stephen "Twitch" Boss from that show performs it with Tatum) and culminates in Mike dry humping every inch of Heard's body, my personal favorite moment was something small in the distant corner of a shot. A female audience member, splayed out in a sling from an earlier dance, applauds another number...just chilling in front of a huge audience with her legs in the air. It's the little things! It perfectly encapsulates MAGIC MIKE XXL, a wistful, wispy, fluffy little nugget about nothing much in particular except for glances, sparks, and pecs.